The 2nd season of FOX's X-Files --- Ramping it up and bringing home the bacon

The second season of the hit television show The X-Files finally gave creator and director Chris Carter the chance to stretch his wings creatively, and it afforded him the ability to really flesh out the characters of the show. After the success of the first season, the fan-base had really started to grow, and with the renewal for future seasons, Carter didn’t have to worry about making episode specific topics. This gave him the chance to really set some far-reaching story arcs, and with that, some of the main tangents for the future storylines of the show were put in motion. The second season differed a lot from the first season, because it finally made the show episodic, with each new show building off of the previous one. It added a lot of new drama to the undercurrent of character development, and also allowed the show to, in essence, really breathe.

The X-Files was a show on FOX that dealt with many different elements of FBI cases that were not easily explainable or solved. When a case came along that defied explanation, or dealt with things out of the ordinary, it was shipped off to this department, where Agent Fox Mulder was in charge of following up the investigation. Mulder is played by David Duchovny in a role he was born to have, and the character is one that believes in everything both extraordinary and extraterrestrial. While most would consider the assignment of working on these cases in the basement of the FBI building as a demotion, Mulder takes the job in stride, and extremely intrigued by the prospects of each new case. Dealing with things ranging from UFO sightings, to abductions, to creepy creatures from the woods, The X-Files really took a lot of risks that not only developed interesting stories, but really drew an audience into the fold. Mulder is partnered with Agent Dana Scully, who was originally sent to keep an eye on him, but has developed a closeness to him, and bonded as a partner also trying to get to the bottom of these odd cases. Her skepticism and doubt of anything she cannot prove with science works as a great balance with Mulder’s belief in everything, and together they were a duo that excelled in their calling as FBI agents.

The second season was able to start out giving some perspective on Agent Mulder's family, specifically the abduction of his sister and the mystery surrounding his father. The global conspiracy theories that underlie later seasons also start to show themselves, and one thing that really stands out from the season, when Agent Scully vanishes without a trace, leaving the fear that she too has been abducted. The season still remains one of my favorite (out of the nine) because so many new themes were introduced, and because the episodes each kept building until the season finale. If you saw the first season, you already know that the second one opens with the X-Files being shut down, and the work that the two leads have to undertake is quite monumental if they are to get the department off the ground. Appearances by actor Tony Shaloub add a great episode twist, the appearance of a new man named "X" who wants to help Mulder, and the assignment of a new member to the X-Files all add great drama to make the season even more eventful.

The second season is really one that set the tone for the rest of the years to follow, and it really showed off the writing/directing talents of Chris Carter to a wider audience. It is also of note, that Duchovny wrote his first episode during this season, and when you watch it, you get a much different feel than when Carter is at the helm. If you stuck around for the full season, the finale was extremely rewarding and left viewers with such an immense cliffhanger that I think it rivals some of the better ones on television. Revelations abound in this season, and ultimately it really made the show successful to a greater audience by stretching its legs and allowing the actors to all evolve with their characters. A must have for all fans of the show, Season 2 gives 25 great episodes for fans to enjoy, and includes several bonus features that tip the scales even more. A highly recommended show to begin with, this is one of its best seasons.